U.S. President Joe Biden signed H.R.7764, the “Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act,” on Wednesday.
The legislation will create a group of eight people with expertise to review the possibility of transferring the Weitzman to the Smithsonian Institution. The commission will have two years to draft a report offering recommendations to the president and Congress.
“America’s fundamental value since our inception—that we are all created equal with infinite value, dignity and uniqueness—is also a core Jewish value,” said Philip Darivoff, the Weitzman’s chair emeritus. “All Americans should understand the inextricable, indelible and important links between our nation and its Jewish communities.”
Darivoff noted that “this Smithsonian Museum for American Jewish history, heritage and culture would counter antisemitism at a crucial time and celebrate the four centuries of Jewish life in America.”
